Integrated connector apparatus and methods

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the electrical connector comprises an insulative housing comprising one or more electronic components, a plurality of electrical conductors in signal communication with the electronic components and adapted to interface with a plug and a plurality of terminals in signal communication with the one or more electronic components. In one aspect, the plurality of terminals are adapted to interface with one or more externally mounted electronic components on the printed circuit board thereby filtering signals passing between the electrical conductors and the printed circuit board, with the externally mounted electronic components mounted within the footprint of the electrical connector. Methods of manufacture for the aforementioned electrical connector and business methods are also disclosed.

PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/074,112 filed Feb. 28, 2008 of the same title,which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/904,488 filed Mar. 1, 2007 of the same title, each of the foregoingincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to electrical or electronicconnector systems and in one exemplary aspect, to filtered connectorapparatus and systems for telecommunications applications, and methodsfor manufacturing the same.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED TECHNOLOGY

Modular connectors, such as for example those of the “RJ” configuration,are well known in the electronics industry. Such connectors are adaptedto receive one or more modular plugs of varying type (e.g., RJ-45 orRJ-11), and communicate signals between the terminals of the modularplug and the parent device with which the connector is associated.Commonly, some form of signal conditioning (e.g., filtering, voltagetransformation, or the like) is performed by the connector on thesignals passing through it.

Many different considerations are involved with producing an effectiveand economically viable connector design. Such considerations include,for example: (i) volume and “footprint” available for the connector;(ii) the need for electrical status indicators (e.g., LEDs); (iii) thecost and complexity associated with assembling and manufacturing thedevice; (iv) the ability to accommodate various electrical componentsand signal conditioning configurations; (v) the electrical and noiseperformance of the device; (vi) the reliability of the device; (vii) theability to modify the design to accommodate complementary technologies;(viii) compatibility with existing terminal and “pin out” standards andapplications; (ix) ability to configure the connector as one of aplurality of ports, potentially having individually variant internalcomponent configurations, and (ix) potentially the maintenance orreplacement of defective components.

Electrical connectors (including modular jacks) are increasingly used indata networking applications, such as wired or wireless LANs, whetherfor computers or other electronic devices (such as routers, gateways,hubs, switching centers, digital set-top boxes, etc.). Increasingrequirements for data connectivity and capability are driving greateradoption of these connectors across a broader spectrum of applications.Increased data rate requirements, such as those mandated under so-called“gigabit Ethernet” (GBE) standards, are also increasing the performancedemands on these connectors. As more capability and components (such asboth discrete and integrated circuitry) are disposed within theconnector, more efficient use of the available volume within theconnector, and more efficient heat dissipation, are also required.

The foregoing factors have resulted in myriad different (and oftenhighly specialized) configurations for modular connectors in the priorart. Many of these designs utilize an internal PCB or substrate forcarrying electronic or signal conditioning components internal to theconnector housing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,641 to Sakamoto, etal. issued Dec. 3, 1991 and entitled “Modular jack” discloses a modularjack to be mounted on a circuit board, and the modular jack has aprinted board containing a noise suppressing electronic element in ahousing. The printed board is fitted with contactors for contacting withplugs and terminals to be used for mounting the modular jack on thecircuit board. The contactors and the terminals are electricallyconnected with the noise suppressing electronic element by wires on theprinted board.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,612 to Goodall, et al. issued Jul. 2, 1996 entitled“Multi-port modular jack assembly” discloses a modular jack assembly formounting to a printed circuit board, is shown comprising a plurality ofmodular jacks assembled to a common integral housing and disposed inback-to-back mirror image symmetry. Shielding, is provided around theconnector assembly and shielding between the two rows is also providedfor suppressing cross-talk there between. The design is compact,providing for a large number of ports without increasing the length ofthe connector assembly, whilst also providing good access to theresilient locking latches of complementary modular plugs received by thejacks.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,884 to Raman issued Dec. 24, 1996 and entitled“Electrical connector jack with encapsulated signal conditioningcomponents” discloses a modular jack electrical connector assemblysuitable for conditioning the signals in unshielded twisted pair wiresfor use with network components is disclosed. The modular jack comprisesa conventional insulative housing and an insert subassembly includinginsert molded front insert member and rear insert member. Contactterminals for mating with a modular plug extend from the front insertmember and into the rear insert member. The rear insert member alsoincludes signal conditioning components such as common mode choke coils,filter circuits and transformers suitable for conditioning the twistedpair signals for used in applications such as for input to and outputfrom IEEE 10 Base-T network components.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,767 to Scheer, et al. issued Jul. 15, 1997 andentitled “Electrical connector jack assembly for signal transmission”discloses a modular jack electrical connector assembly for conditioningthe signals in unshielded twisted pair wires for use with networkcomponents. The modular jack comprises a conventional insulative housingand an insert subassembly including an insert molded front insert memberand a rear insert member. Contact terminals for mating with a modularplug extend from the front insert member and into the rear insertmember. The rear insert member also includes signal conditioningcomponents such as common mode choke coils, filter circuits andtransformers suitable for conditioning the twisted pair signals for usedin applications such as for input to and output from IEEE 10 Base-Tnetwork components. The rear insert member includes an insert moldedbody which stabilizes the position of the contact terminals and leadsextending from the rear insert member for attachment to externalcircuits, such as the external printed circuit board containing theinterface processor for the specific application.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,067 entitled “Shielded Connector” to Scheerexemplifies a common prior art approach. In this configuration, one ormore PCBs are disposed within the connector housing in a vertical planarorientation such that an inner face of the PCB is directed toward aninterior of the assembly and an outer face directed toward an exteriorof the assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,908 to Jones issued May 16, 2000 entitled “Highdensity connector modules having integral filtering components withinrepairable, replaceable submodules” discloses a connector module formounting on a circuit board includes a housing and at least oneplug-receiving opening for receiving an RJ-45 or other similar jack.Each plug-receiving opening includes contact portions that makeelectrical contact with individual conductors, e.g., twisted pairconductors, connected to the RJ-45 jack. A plurality of connection pinsprotrude from a bottom surface of the housing and facilitate mounting ofthe modular connector onto the circuit board. Protection/filteringcircuitry, located within vertical space inside of the housing so as toreside adjacent the connection pins, electrically couples and minimizesthe electrical distance between the contact portions associated witheach plug-receiving opening and the plurality of connection pins. Theprotection/filtering circuitry includes at least one ring-shaped ferritecore. Light emitting diodes may also be included as an integral part ofthe module, but are mounted for viewing so as to be outside of theshielded portions of the module.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,050 to Belopolsky, et al. issued Dec. 12, 2000entitled “Modular jack with filter insert” discloses a modular jackassembly which includes an outer insulative housing having top andbottom walls and opposed lateral walls while defining an interiorsection. This housing also has front and rear open ends. This assemblyalso includes an insulative insert having a top section, an upper sideand rear section having a base side and a recess. This jack ispositioned so that the upper side of its top section is adjacent to topside of the insulative housing such that its terminal end extends intothe interior section of the insulative housing and the rear section atleast partially covers the rear open end of the insulative housing. Thisassembly also includes an electronic component mounted in the rearsection of the insulative insert. A conductor is mounted in theelectrical insert.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,152 to Kunz issued Jan. 9, 2001 entitled “Standardfootprint and form factor RJ-45 connector with integrated signalconditioning for high speed networks” discloses an RJ-45 style modularconnector having a plastic rectangular housing with an open front end toreceive a matching RJ-45 style modular jack, and an opposite open backend. A contact spring assembly of a plurality of wires in separatecircuits passes forward through said open back end into the back of saidopen front end of the housing. The contact assembly also includes aplastic block that supports the plurality of wires by a right angle turnand is vertically oriented with respect to the plurality of wires, andthe plastic block inserts and locks into the open back end of thehousing. A set of mounting pins is disposed at a bottom edge of theplastic block for connection to a printed motherboard. A signalconditioning part is disposed in the plastic block for providing signalconditioning of signals passing from said set of mounting pins to thecontact spring assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540 to Gutierrez, et al. issued Jul. 1, 2003 andentitled “Shielded microelectronic connector assembly and method ofmanufacturing” discloses a multi-connector electronic assemblyincorporating different noise shield elements which reduce noiseinterference and increase performance. In one embodiment, the connectorassembly comprises a plurality of connectors with associated electroniccomponents arranged in two parallel rows, one disposed atop the other.The assembly utilizes a substrate shield which mitigates noisetransmission through the bottom surface of the assembly, as well as anexternal “wrap-around shield to mitigate noise transmission through theremaining external surfaces. In a second embodiment, the connectorassembly further includes a top-to-bottom shield interposed between thetop and bottom rows of connectors to reduce noise transmission betweenthe rows of connectors, and a plurality of front-to-back shield elementsdisposed between the electronic components of respective top and bottomrow connectors to limit transmission between the electronic components.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,595 to Zheng, et al. issued Jul. 13, 2004 entitled“Electrical connector” discloses an electrical connector has aninsulative housing and a plurality of subassemblies. Each subassemblyhas a base member, a first and second printed circuit boards, a pair ofinsert portions mounted on corresponding PCBs, and a plurality ofterminals insert molded in the insert portions. One of the insertportions has a plurality of first positioning posts and first mountingholes, the other insert portion has a plurality of second positioningposts and mounting holes second stably engaging with the first mountingholes and the first positioning posts of the former. The base member hasa plurality of magnetic coils connecting with the terminals.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,936 to Gutierrez, et al. issued. Aug. 3, 2004entitled “Connector with insert assembly and method of manufacturing”discloses a modular plug connector assembly incorporating asubstantially planar, low profile removable insert assembly withassociated substrate disposed in the rear portion of the connectorhousing, the substrate adapted to optionally receive one or moreelectronic components. In one embodiment, the connector assemblycomprises a single port with a single insert assembly. The conductorsand terminals of the connector are retained within respective moldedcarriers which are received within the insert assembly. A plurality oflight sources (e.g., LEDs) is also received within the housing, theconductors of the LEDs mated with conductive traces on the substrate ofthe insert assembly. In another embodiment, the connector assemblycomprises a multi-port “1×N” device.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,302 to Gutierrez, et al. issued Aug. 10, 2004entitled “Advanced microelectronic connector assembly and method ofmanufacturing” discloses a modular plug connector assembly incorporatinga substrate disposed in the rear portion of the connector housing, thesubstrate adapted to receive one or more electronic components such aschoke coils, transformers, or other signal conditioning elements ormagnetics. In one embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a singleport pair with a single substrate disposed in the rear portion of thehousing. In another embodiment, the assembly comprises a multi-port“row-and-column” housing with multiple substrates (one per port)received within the rear of the housing, each substrate having signalconditioning electronics which condition the input signal received fromthe corresponding modular plug before egress from the connectorassembly. In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly comprises aplurality of light sources (e.g., LEDs) received within the housing.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,772 to Liu issued Sep. 7, 2004 entitled “Modulatedconnector” discloses a modulated connector includes an input module, atransfer module and an applied terminal module. The input module has atleast one resilient leg set adapted to connect to other electricalelements. The transfer module is connected to the input module via acircuit board and has a substantially U-shaped pin seat with two sets ofpins to correspond to the side holes of the circuit board. The appliedterminal module is connected to the transfer circuit board and has twoside circuit boards respectively and electrically connected to thetransfer module and a base electrically connected to the side circuitboards and provided with multiple contacting pins extending through thebase for connection with another electrical device.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,943 to Machado, et al. issued Feb. 1, 2005 entitled“Shielded connector assembly and method of manufacturing” discloses ashielded modular plug connector assembly incorporating a removableinsert assembly disposed in the connector housing, the insert assemblyadapted to optionally receive one or more electronic components. In oneexemplary embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single portconnector with integral shielded housing and dual-substrate insertassembly. The housing is advantageously fanned using a metal castingprocess which inherently shields the connector (and exteriorenvironment) from EMI and other noise while allowing for a reducedhousing profile.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,511 to Gutierrez, et al. Nov. 8, 2005 entitled“Advanced microelectronic connector assembly and method ofmanufacturing” discloses an advanced modular plug connector assemblyincorporating a substrate disposed in the rear portion of the connectorhousing, the substrate adapted to receive one or more electroniccomponents such as choke coils, transformers, or other signalconditioning elements or magnetics. In one embodiment, the connectorassembly comprises a single port pair with a single substrate disposedin the rear portion of the housing. In another embodiment, the assemblycomprises a multi-port “row-and-column” housing with multiple substrates(one per port) received within the rear of the housing, each substratehaving signal conditioning electronics which condition the input signalreceived from the corresponding modular plug before egress from theconnector assembly. In yet another embodiment, the connector assemblycomprises an indicator assembly having a plurality of opticallytransmissive conduits, the assembly being disposed largely outside theexternal noise shield of the connector and removable therefrom. Methodsfor manufacturing the aforementioned embodiments are also disclosed.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,241,181 to Machado, et al. issued Jul. 10, 2007 entitled“Universal connector assembly and method of manufacturing” discloses anadvanced modular plug connector assembly incorporating an insertassembly disposed in the rear portion of the connector housing. In oneembodiment, the connector has a plurality of ports in multi-rowconfiguration, and the insert assembly includes a substrate adapted toreceive one or more electronic components such as choke coils,transformers, or other signal conditioning elements or magnetics. Thesubstrate also interfaces with the conductors of two modular ports ofthe connector, and is removable from the housing such that an insertassembly of a different electronics or terminal configuration can besubstituted therefor. In this fashion, the connector can be configuredto a plurality of different standards (e.g., Gigabit Ethernet and10/100). In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly comprises aplurality of light sources (e.g., LEDs) received within the housing,Methods for manufacturing the aforementioned embodiments are alsodisclosed.

Accordingly, it would be most desirable to provide an improvedelectrical connector (e.g., modular jack) design that would providereliable and superior electrical and noise performance, while alsoproviding application flexibility, including aspects desirable in lowprofile connector applications. Such a connector design would alsominimize costs by specifying that some of the electrical componentsnecessary for the electrical connector filter circuit be carriedexternal to the electrical connector, yet within the electricalconnector footprint to minimize electrical connector size. The improvedconnector design would also facilitate easy assembly, as well as beamenable to integration into a multi-port connector assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, inter alia, a low cost connector (ascompared to prior art designs) while offering novel features thatimprove the manufacturability of the connector assembly. The connectorprovides a means to interconnect a plug(s) to a circuit board and, bythe use of a common mode choke coil and/or a transformer on each of theplugs signal lines, filter the signal carried through the plug to thecircuit board.

In a first aspect of the invention, an electrical connector apparatus isdisclosed. In one embodiment, the electrical connector comprises anassembly comprising a magnetically filtered connector for use withvarious RJ plugs such as the RJ-45 and RI-11. In one variant, theassembly moves the connector's internal PCA, its circuitry and itscomponents to a customer's PCA. Moreover, the exemplary embodimentlocates those components within the confines of the connector's PCBfootprint or adjacent to it. It also locates the connector's circuitryto the customers PCA; and provides a path for the connector's filteredsignals to its circuitry on the customers PCA.

In another embodiment, an electrical connector mountable on a printedcircuit board in a telecommunications apparatus is disclosed. Theelectrical connector comprises an insulative housing comprising one ormore electronic components; a plurality of electrical conductors insignal communication with the one or more electronic components andadapted to interface with a plug; and a plurality of terminals in signalcommunication with the one or more electronic components. The pluralityof terminals are adapted to interface with one or more externallymounted electronic components on the printed circuit board therebyfiltering signals passing between the plurality of electrical conductorsand the printed circuit board. The externally mounted electroniccomponents are mounted within the footprint of the electrical connector.

In one variant, the electrical connector further comprises an organizerassembly comprising an insulative insert with the plurality ofelectrical conductors in signal communication with the one or moreelectronic components.

In yet another variant, the insulative housing comprises at least oneport cavity and at least one electronic component cavity; whereinindividual ones of the at least one port cavity are adapted to receivethe organizer assembly such that individual ones of the at least oneport cavity are inaccessible from the at least one electronic componentcavity when the organizer assembly is received within its respectiveport cavity.

In yet another variant, the electrical connector comprises a verticallymounted electrical connector comprising a connector port and aninterface surface to the printed circuit board wherein the one or moreelectronic components are positioned within the insulative housing so asto not reside between said connector port and the interface surface.

In yet another variant, the plurality of terminals in signalcommunication with the one or more electronic components are distributedevenly throughout the insulative housing so that individual ones of theone or more electronic components are substantially equidistant from itsrespective terminal.

In yet another variant, the insulative housing is adapted to accommodatethe one or more externally mounted electronic components substantiallybetween the insulative housing and the printed circuit board.

In yet another variant, the one or more externally mounted electroniccomponents comprise chip-like electronic components and the one or moreelectronic components comprise toroidal inductive devices.

In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a connectorhousing comprising a plug receiving recess and an electronic componentreceiving recess; a terminal insert, the terminal insert comprising aplurality of terminals residing at least partly within the plugreceiving recess and the electronic component recess; and an electroniccomponent residing within the electronic component receiving recess, theelectronic component comprising a plurality of leads, at least one ofthe plurality of leads connected directly to one of the plurality ofterminals.

In one variant, the connector housing comprises a vertically mountedconnector housing wherein the terminal insert comprises an insulatingheader portion having a bottom surface; and wherein the electroniccomponent is disposed substantially above the bottom surface.

In another variant, the electronic component comprises a wound toroidthe one of the plurality of terminals comprises a notched end adapted toreceive the at least one of the plurality of leads.

In yet another variant, the electronic component receiving recesscomprises a depth, the depth permitting the electronic component to bemass terminated to the one of the plurality of terminals withoutdamaging the electronic component.

In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly, comprises a connectorhousing comprising a plug receiving recess defined by a plug receivingsurface and an electronic component receiving recess; a terminal insert,the terminal insert comprising a plurality of terminals residing atleast partly within the plug receiving recess and the electroniccomponent recess and further comprising an insulative portion comprisinga bottom surface, the bottom surface; and a plurality of electroniccomponents residing within the electronic component receiving recess,the plurality of electronic components residing in a substantiallycoplanar fashion and further residing substantially between the level ofthe plug receiving surface and the level of the bottom surface.

In one variant, the plug receiving surface and the bottom surface aresubstantially parallel in orientation with respect to one another.

In another variant, the plug receiving recess is adapted to receive theterminal insert such that the plug receiving recess is inaccessible fromthe electronic component receiving recess when the terminal insert isreceived within the connector housing.

In yet another variant, the connector housing comprises a verticalmounted connector housing that comprises a substantially L-shape.

In yet another variant, the terminal insert comprises one or morelocking features, the one or more locking features adapted to interfacewith one or more receiving elements on the connector housing.

In yet another variant, the terminal insert is shaped so as to separatethe plug receiving recess from the electronic component receiving recesswhen the one or more locking features is engaged with the one or morereceiving elements.

In a second aspect of the invention, a low-profile connector assembly isdisclosed. The low profile connector assembly comprises a verticalmounted connector housing comprising a connector port and an interfacesurface, the vertical mounted connector housing comprising a pluralityof terminals extending below the interface surface; a plurality ofelectronic components in signal communication with at least a portion ofthe plurality of terminals; wherein the plurality of electroniccomponents are disposed within the vertical mounted connector housingsuch that they do not reside between the connector port and theinterface surface.

In one variant, the connector assembly further comprises an organizerassembly comprising an insulative insert; and a plurality of electricalconductors in signal communication with the one or more electroniccomponents.

In another variant, the connector assembly further comprises anelectronic component cavity, wherein the connector port is adapted toreceive the organizer assembly such that the connector port isinaccessible from the electronic component cavity when the organizerassembly is received within the connector port.

In yet another variant, the plurality of terminals in signalcommunication with the plurality of electronic components aredistributed evenly throughout the connector housing so that individualones of the plurality of electronic components are substantiallyequidistant from its respective terminal.

In yet another variant, the connector housing comprises an externalelectronic component cavity adapted to accommodate one or moreexternally mounted electronic components substantially between theconnector housing and an external printed circuit board.

In yet another variant, the one or more externally mounted electroniccomponents comprise chip-like electronic components and the plurality ofelectronic components comprises toroidal inductive devices.

In yet another variant, the vertical mounted connector housing comprisesa substantially L-shape.

In yet another variant, the insulative insert comprises one or morelocking features, the one or more locking features adapted to interfacewith one or more receiving elements on the vertical mounted connectorhousing.

In yet another variant, the insulative insert is shaped so as toseparate the connector port from an electronic component cavity when theone or more locking features is engaged with the one or more receivingelements.

In yet another variant, the vertical mounted connector housing comprisesan electronic component cavity adapted to house the plurality ofelectronic components and the plurality of electrical conductors insignal communication with the one or more electronic components eachcomprise a termination end; wherein the electronic component cavity isdeep enough to permit the mass termination of the termination end of theelectrical conductors without damaging the plurality of electroniccomponents housed within the electronic component cavity.

In a third aspect of the invention, a connector assembly for use withdiscrete electronic components located on an external printed circuitboard is disclosed.

In a fourth aspect, a substrate-less modular connector or jack isdisclosed.

In a fifth aspect of the invention, a connector useful for Voice-over-IP(VoIP) applications is disclosed.

In a sixth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing theaforementioned connector apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, themethod comprises forming a connector housing; winding one or more coilassemblies; inserting the one or more coil assemblies into the connectorhousing; and specifying one or more electronic components to be mountedon the circuit board underneath the connector housing.

In one variant, the one or more electronic components comprise chip-likeelectronic components.

In another variant, the method further comprises forming an organizerassembly; and inserting the organizer assembly into the connectorhousing.

In a seventh aspect of the invention, a method of doing business isdisclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises designing a filteredconnector, assembling a portion of the design components in a connectorand specifying the remaining design components to be utilized on theprinted circuit board external to the filtered connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features, objectives, and advantages of the invention will becomemore apparent from the detailed description set forth below when takenin conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a modular jack connectorassembly manufactured in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the underside of the modular jackconnector assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1B is a bottom plan view of the modular jack connector assembly ofFIGS. 1-1A.

FIG. 1C is a cross sectional view of the modular jack connector assemblyof FIGS. 1-1B taken along line A-A.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the organizer utilized in the modularjack connector assembly of FIGS. 1-1C.

FIG. 2A is a top plan view of the organizer shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of a modularjack connector assembly.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a third embodiment of a modular jackconnector assembly.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a modularjack connector assembly.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a fifth embodiment of a modular jackconnector assembly.

FIG. 7 illustrates a logical flow diagram for a first exemplary methodof manufacturing a modular jack connector assembly in accordance withthe principles of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the underside of the modular jackconnector assembly of FIG. 1 illustrating the use of a strain relief barfor wire termination.

All Figures disclosed herein are © Copyright 2007 Pulse Engineering,Inc. All rights reserved.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer tolike parts throughout.

As used herein, the terms “electrical component” and “electroniccomponent” are used interchangeably and refer to components adapted toprovide some electrical and/or signal conditioning function, includingwithout limitation inductive reactors (“choke coils”), transformers,filters, transistors, gapped core toroids, inductors (coupled orotherwise), capacitors, resistors, operational amplifiers, and diodes,whether discrete components or integrated circuits, whether alone or incombination.

As used herein, the term “integrated circuit (IC)” refers to withoutlimitation any type of device, whether single or multiple die, havingany level of integration (including without limitation ULSI, VLSI, andLSI) and irrespective of process or base materials (including, withoutlimitation Si, SiGe, CMOS and GaAs). ICs may include, for example,memory devices (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, DDRAM, EEPROM/Flash, and ROM), digitalprocessors, SoC devices, FPGAs, ASICs, ADCs, DACs, transceivers, memorycontrollers, and other devices, as well as any combinations thereof.

As used herein, the term “memory” includes any type of integratedcircuit or other storage device adapted for storing digital dataincluding, without limitation, ROM. PROM, EEPROM, DRAM, SDRAM, DDR/2SDRAM, EDO/FPMS, RLDRAM, SRAM, “flash” memory (e.g., NAND/NOR), andPSRAM.

As used herein, the terms “microprocessor” and “digital processor” aremeant generally to include all types of digital processing devicesincluding, without limitation, digital signal processors (DSPs), reducedinstruction set computers (RISC), general-purpose (CISC) processors,microprocessors, gate arrays (e.g., FPGAs), PLDs, reconfigurable computefabrics (RCFs), array processors, secure microprocessors, andapplication-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Such digitalprocessors may be contained on a single unitary IC die, or distributedacross multiple components.

As used herein, the tem). “signal conditioning” or “conditioning” shallbe understood to include, but not be limited to, signal voltagetransformation, filtering and noise mitigation, signal splitting,impedance control and correction, current limiting, capacitance control,and time delay.

While the present invention is discussed largely in the context oftelecommunications applications requiring low-profile connectorprofiles, the invention is not so limited. In fact, the presentinvention may be utilized or combined with other types of technologiesand capabilities such as e.g., using one or more integrated circuitswithin or in conjunction with the connector assembly.

Mechanical Embodiments

Prior art magnetically filtered connectors typically utilize an internalprinted circuit board (“PCB”) or other substrate to carry the inputsignals through internal circuitry connecting numerous internaltransformer coils and chokes to various internal electrical componentsfor filtering applications and then to pins located in specificlocations relative to the customers printed circuit assembly (“PCA”).While prior art designs typically focused on customer manufacturingconvenience (by internalizing all the filter circuitry within theconnector itself), cost is becoming an ever important factor in thedesign of these integrated component connectors. In order to reduce thetotal “on-the-board” cost of a filtered connector, while still providingmanufacturing convenience to a customer, it would be prudent for theconnector manufacturer to locate any functional parameters of theconnector design at the least expensive point in the overall process ofmanufacturing the customer's completed circuit board assembly.

The inventor herein has realized that by transferring some of thosefunctional filtered-connector design elements, which are currentlyprovided at a greater expense by the filtered connector manufacture, tothe customer's PCA it will reduce the overall total cost to the customerwhile minimizing customer inconvenience. This is largely because some ofthe functionality associated with the connector's filtering circuitrycan be incorporated into the customer's PCA at little or no added costto the customer. This is especially desirable in applications where thecustomer generally has a much higher utilization of similar electricalcomponents (e.g. chip capacitors, resistors, etc.) utilized in thefiltered-connector design elements and therefore can purchase them at alower cost than a connector manufacturer due to economies of scale.Further, the customer can further save costs because the addition ofoverhead costs associated with these electronic components being passedalong to the customer can now be avoided. By moving these connectordesign elements from the connector to the customers PCB the connectormanufacturer can save costs and pass those savings on to the endconsumer of the customer's PCA. This cost saving from the price of theconnector will be greater than the very minor cost increase born by thecustomer to provide the additional connector functions on their PCB,thus reducing the total cost of providing a filtered connector solutionto the customer. The bottom line is that all parties (i.e. connectormanufacturer, PCA manufacturer and end customer) save money utilizingsuch a business model.

Another cost saving move results from the minimization of the number ofcomponents utilized in the connector assembly. Prior art filteredconnector assemblies typically include at least a housing, a headerassembly to house the electronic components, and a so-called FCC insert.The inventor herein has obviated the need for these three components bycombining the housing and the header assembly into a single component.This is exemplified in the L-shaped housing 104 seen in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a first exemplary embodiment of a magneticallyfiltered modular jack connector assembly 100 is shown and described indetail. The connector assembly 100 comprises a vertically mountedassembly comprising a generally L-shaped housing 104. In the embodimentshown, the connector assembly is a two (2) port 102 assembly suitablefor low profile applications. The L-shaped housing 104 contributes tothe low profile nature of the assembly 100 which is useful in certaintelecommunications applications where height is at a premium. Forinstance, in one embodiment, the connector assembly 100 comprises VOIPmagnetic circuitry (see FIG. 1A). The connector assembly is shaped so asto accommodate interface circuitry for the VOIP circuitry present on anexternal circuit board (not shown). The external circuit board housing(not shown) necessitates the connector assembly be low in profile so asto fit with the external PCA housing.

As previously alluded to the connector assembly 100 in the presentembodiment comprises two (2) ports 102, although it is appreciated thatmore or less ports could be added if desired. Further, while shown astwo (2) ports 102 in a single row (i.e. a 1×2 connector), thesymmetrical nature of the design can be readily adapted for 2×N or N×Napplications. Each of the ports 102 is preferably of the registered jack(RJ) style due to their widespread usage in the telecommunicationsindustry. The embodiment shown possesses eight (8) conductors and is ofthe RJ-45 type; however any number of RJ style ports could be utilized(i.e. RJ-11, RJ-14, etc.) in its place. Further, it is envisioned thatthe connector assembly 100 may in certain embodiments possess mixed portarchitecture such as where a first port comprises an RJ-45 port, while asecond port comprises an RJ-11 port. In yet another embodiment, it maybe desirable to have a first port that comprises an RJ-45 port, while asecond port comprises a USB port. Further, it is envisioned that in someembodiments it may be desirable to incorporate ports 102 which implementa “keep-out” feature such as that disclosed in co-owned and co-pendingU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/904,464 filed Mar. 1, 2007and entitled “Connector Keep-Out Apparatus and Methods”, the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Thiskeep-out feature may be especially desirable in mixed port applications.

The modular jack connector assembly 100 comprises two top surfaces 108and 110, as well as a plurality of terminal pins 112 which interfacewith an external circuit board and/or PCA (not shown). In addition, themodular jack connector assembly 100 comprises a plurality of standoffs114 which are useful for, inter alia, providing a wash area below theassembly as is well understood in the electronics arts. Referring now toFIG. 1A, the underside of the modular jack connector assembly 100 isshown in detail. As can be seen, the modular jack connector housing 104comprises a unitary body having a plurality of terminal pins 112. Withinthe unitary body resides an electronic component recess 122 adapted toretain a plurality of magnetic components 120, 130. Preferably themagnetic components 120, 130 comprise toroidal magnetics of the typewell understood in the electronic arts. In the embodiment shown, themagnetic components comprise four (4) toroidal transformers 120 perport, as well as four (4) toroidal choke coils 130 per port for a totalof sixteen (16) toroids in the embodiment shown. The embodiment shown isdesirable in VOIP applications. In an alternative embodiment, themagnetic components may be adapted for a PoE or PoE+ (“PoE plus”)application.

While the toroidal coils 120, 130 are conventional in design;alternative embodiments may envision non-conventional toroidal coils.For example, the improved toroidal device disclosed in Assignee'sco-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,827 entitled “Advanced ElectronicMicrominiature Coil and Method of Manufacturing” filed Sep. 13, 2000,which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may be usedin conjunction with the invention disclosed herein.

Terminal pins 112 a are not terminated to any of the magnetic components120, 130 and are simply utilized for symmetry and for improving themechanical connection of the assembly 100 to the external circuit boardonce soldered. Middle terminal pins 112 b are utilized to spread thedistribution of the terminal pins 112 more evenly throughout themagnetic components. Symmetrically balancing the placement of themagnetic components 120, 130 are desirable to ensure uniformity inelectrical performance (e.g. impedance matching, etc.). In theembodiment shown, these terminal pins 112 b are utilized for terminationto the center taps located on the transformer toroids 120. Terminal pins112 c are located adjacent the edge of the connector assembly 100 andare each located proximate an optional lead in channel 116. Theseremaining terminal pins 112 c are utilized as signal pins (here twenty(20)) and for eight (8) center tap connections to the choke coils 130.The terminal pins 112 are preferably post inserted into the connectorassembly housing 104 although the utilization of insert molding may bepreferable in certain embodiments. It should also be noted that terminalpins 112 a, 112 b, 112 c and terminal ends 210 are preferably co-planarso as to facilitate mass termination of these conductive features inwell known mass termination processes such as wave soldering and thelike.

Adjacent the electronic component recess 122 of the connector assembly100 comprise a plurality of organizer recesses 180. These organizerrecesses 180 are adapted to accommodate the organizer assemblies 200discussed more fully herein below with respect to FIGS. 2-2A. Ofparticular significance is the utilization of the entire space of therecess 180 when the organizer assembly 200 is inserted. As a resultthere is no gap that allows access from the electronic component recess122 to the modular jack connector ports 102 once the organizer assembly200 is fully inserted. This is significant in that the electroniccomponents 120, 130 will typically be potted with a silicone basedmaterial. This is necessary in order to mechanically secure thecomponents 120, 130 as well help provide electrical isolation betweenelectrical potentials present within the component recess 122 andexternal or internal electronic components or signal or ground planespresent on the external circuit board. By providing no gap, this pottingcompound can not enter into the modular jack connector ports 102, whereit can become lodged between the conductor terminals 106 and thecomb-like structure of the housing 104 within the connector ports 102,etc.

Referring now to FIG. 1B, the lack of a gap between the organizer recess180 and the organizer assembly 200 is more readily apparent. Inaddition, as can perhaps best be seen in FIG. 1B, the terminal pins 112c are distributed along the edge of the connector assembly 100 in twodistinct rows. This offset increases the distance between adjacentterminal pins 112 c, permitting the wires wrapped around these terminalpins 112 c to more easily be installed, as well as prevent solderbridging during mass termination as will be discussed more fully hereinbelow. As can also be seen in FIG. 1B, the relative sizing of thechannels 116 will accordingly vary based on the relative positioning ofits respective terminal pin 112 c.

Referring now to FIG. 1C, a cross sectional view taken across line A-Aof FIG. 1B is shown and described in detail. In particular, theinterface between the organizer assembly 200 and the connector assemblyhousing 104 can be seen in more detail. As can be seen, the interface140 comprises a plurality of snap features which mechanically interlockthe organizer assembly 200 into the connector assembly housing 104. Noteagain that the connector port 102 is physically separated from thecomponent recess 122 with the organizer assembly 200 installed. Anotherfeature of the present embodiment is best illustrated in FIG. 1C. Thisfeature relates to the low profile nature of the connector assembly 100.Specifically, because no electronic components are interspersed betweenthe connector port 102 and the external circuit board (not shown), theheight of the vertically mounted connector assembly 100 is minimized. Infact, the only space necessary below the connector port is a smallrecess 124 to accommodate the wire wrap terminal ends 210 of theorganizer assembly 200. As can also be seen, the electronic componentrecess 122 need not be uniform in depth; in fact, it may be made deeperto accommodate larger coils 120 as illustrated in FIG. 1C.

It should also be noted that the connector assembly 100 may, in certainembodiments, benefit by the addition of an internally mounted printedcircuit board. This is particularly useful in cases where it benefitsthe PCA manufacturer to include electronic components on a circuit boardinternal to the connector assembly 100. It is further recognized that anexternal EMI shield could also be placed over the connector housing 104in certain instances to improve the EMI performance of the connectorassembly.

It is also appreciated that in certain embodiments that it may bedesirable to include LEDs to the connector port 102 in order to providesignaling of the connector assembly operation of the type wellunderstood in the electronic connector arts. These and other embodimentswould be readily implemented by one of ordinary skill given the presentdisclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the organizer assembly 200 of the connectorassembly 100 is shown and described in detail. The organizer assembly200 comprises an organizer insert 202 and a plurality of conductors 106.The organizer insert 202 comprises a plurality of retention features 240that act as cantilever snaps when inserted into the connector assemblyhousing 104. It is recognized however that these retention features 240may be obviated in lieu of other retention methods such as through useof epoxies, heat staking and the like. Each of the plurality ofconductors 106 comprises a termination end 210 having a notched cutout250. The notched cutout 250 is utilized for the wire wrapping of themagnetic component terminations. The organizer insert 202 alsopreferably comprises a high temperature polymeric material such asnylon. This allows the termination ends 210 to be mass terminated byimmersion soldering as will be discussed more fully herein below.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, another feature of the conductors 106 becomesmore readily apparent. As can be seen, the pitch “B” at the terminationend 210 is larger in size than the pitch “A” at the opposing end. Thisis because the pitch dimension “A” is typically specified in a standardand has a dimension that is typically not desirable for masstermination. Therefore, the pitch “B” at the termination end is expandedin order to increase the distance between conductors 106. Thisfacilitates the mass termination of magnet wire, etc. to the conductors106.

It should also be noted that in certain embodiments a gap between theportions of the FCC conductors that exit the organizer assembly towardsthe plug recess and the housing wall to which that portion of the leadsare parallel is desirable. This gap provides additional deflectionlength from the top surface of the connector to the organizer for theleads to move toward when a plug is inserted. This additional deflectionincreases the length of the entire deflection beam of the FCC lead andreduces the stress on the FCC bend (which can be as high as 150 degrees)where the bending stress is normally concentrated.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a salient advantage of the present connectorassembly 100 is now readily apparent. In prior art filtered connectors,a printed circuit board would often be implemented within a connectorassembly to incorporate the required discrete electronic componentsnecessary for the operation of the circuit. In the present inventionhowever, this connector printed circuit board, which includes associatedelectronic component circuitry, is removed from the connector assembly100 in some embodiments. The connector housing 104 optionally comprisesstandoffs 150 adapted to interface with the customer's mother board 300.These standoffs 150 provide a predetermined distance between the bottomof the connector 100 and the customer's mother board 300. The resultingcavity space will accommodate the connector specified components 302 nowbeing mounted on the customer's PCB 300 when the connector 100 ismounted over these components 302. This is accomplished by giving thecustomer an electronic component circuit board layout for theconnector's filtering circuitry. The connector assembly 100 includesinterface circuitry (e.g. the interfacing pins 112) adapted to be placedin electrical communication with the circuitry now present on thecustomers board 300. The pertinent specifications, including PCB layoutlocation requirements for the electrical components and the PCBfootprint of the connector are provided to the customer. The customeradds the filtering circuitry to his own circuitry during the motherboard's layout design phase adds the filtering electrical components totheir own board purchased parts and builds the board. The connectorassembly 100 is then mounted to the customers PCB 300 exactly where itwould have been without this cost saving device. It should also berecognized that since the connector assembly 100 of the presentinvention is mounted to the customers PCB 300 on top of the customermounted electrical components 302; the connector assembly 100 doesn'trequire any additional board space over prior art designs.

Referring now to FIG. 4, yet another embodiment of a connector assembly100 in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shownand described in detail. In the embodiment shown, the standoffs (FIG. 3,150) are obviated in order to make the connector assembly 100 as low inprofile as possible. Again the internal magnetic components 120, 130 areshifted out from underneath the connector port 102. The externalelectronic components 302 on the customer printed circuit board 300 areshifted to the far side of the customer's board 300. Accordingly spaceis not needed under the connector assembly 100 to accommodate thesecomponents 302. Another advantage is that improved electrical isolationis provided between the magnetic components 120, 130 and the externalelectronic components 302 via the interposed printed circuit board 300.This permits, in certain embodiments, a lower profile connector becausespacing between components 120, 130 and 302 need not be considered dueto the placement of the electronic components 302.

Referring now to FIG. 5, yet another embodiment of a connector assembly500 in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shownand described in detail. In the embodiment shown, a vertically mountedconnector assembly 500 which must minimize its footprint (at the expenseof height) is shown and described in detail. Here, the magneticcomponents 520 are mounted on the underside of the organizer assembly200. The magnetic components are mounted to the termination ends 210 ofthe organizer assembly 200 and the signal pins 512 as discussedpreviously. The magnetic components 520 are also received within acavity 524 which also has plenty of room to accommodate externallymounted electronic components (not shown). The organizer assembly 200seals off the component cavity 524 from the connector port 102 via snapfeatures 540 between the organizer assembly 200 and the connectorassembly housing 502. This allows the cavity 524 to be potted with anynumber of compounds well understood in the art (such as silicone)without permitting the potting compound to foul up the internal workingsof the connector port 102.

Referring now to FIG. 6, yet another embodiment of a connector assembly600 is shown and described in detail. As illustrated in FIG. 1, theprevious embodiments discussed comprise a “tab out” configuration. Inother words, the tab of the inserted modular plug faces away frominternals of the modular jack connector assembly 100. However, thisconfiguration has some potential drawbacks. As can be seen in FIG. 6, a“tab in” configuration is shown for the connector assembly 600. That is,the tab of the inserted modular plug (not shown) will face inwardtowards the center of the connector assembly 600. What this ultimatelymeans is that the termination ends 210 of the organizer assembly 200 arenow positioned towards the edge of the connector assembly 600. Becauseof this, electronic components 620 can be positioned underneath theconnector port 102 resulting in a reduced width dimension “W”. This ofcourse can be at the expense of the overall height of the connectorassembly. Similar to the embodiment discussed in FIG. 1, the connectorassembly 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 possesses a plurality of terminalpins 612, electronic and/or magnetic components 610, 620 all residentwithin a component cavity 624.

It will be appreciated that the features of the present inventions canbe implemented in conjunction with or in the context of any number ofdifferent connector, modular, jack, or other paradigms, includingwithout limitation those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,302 entitled“Advanced microelectronic connector assembly and method ofmanufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,298 entitled “Connector assemblywith light source sub-assemblies and method of manufacturing”, U.S. Pat.No. 6,769,936 entitled “Connector with insert assembly and method ofmanufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540 entitled “Shieldedmicroelectronic connector assembly and method of manufacturing”, U.S.Pat. No. 6,471,551 entitled “Connector assembly with side-by-sideterminal arrays”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,548 entitled “Microelectronicconnector with open-cavity insert”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,664 entitled“Shielded microelectronic connector with indicators and method ofmanufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,425 entitled “Simplifiedmicroelectronic connector and method of manufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No.6,193,560 entitled “Connector assembly with side-by-side terminalarrays”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,741 entitled “Modular Microelectronicconnector and method for manufacturing same”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,050entitled “Modular jack with filter insert”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,963entitled “Two-piece microelectronic connector and method”, U.S. Pat. No.6,062,908 entitled “High density connector modules having integralfiltering components within repairable, replaceable sub-modules”, U.S.Pat. No. 5,587,884 entitled “Electrical connector jack with encapsulatedsignal conditioning components”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,910 entitled“Modular jack connector with a flexible laminate capacitor mounted on acircuit board”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,805 entitled “Modular jack withfilter insert”, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,641 entitled “Modular jack”,each of the foregoing patents incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

Moreover, the methods and apparatus described in co-pending and co-ownedU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/170,583 filed Jun. 28, 2005 entitled“Universal Connector Assembly and Method of Manufacturing”, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/387,226 filed Mar. 22, 2006 entitled“Power-Enabled Connector Assembly and Method of Manufacturing”, U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/436,283 filed May 17, 2006 entitled “BiasCurrent Compensation Apparatus and Method”, U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/399,002 filed Apr. 5, 2006 entitled “Modular Electronic HeaderAssembly and Methods of Manufacture”, U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 60/849,432 filed Oct. 2, 2006 entitled “Shield andAntenna Connector Apparatus and Methods”, U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 60/859,120 Nov. 14, 2006 entitled “Wire-LessInductive Devices and Methods”, and U.S. provisional patent applicationSer. No. 60/898,677 filed Jan. 30, 2007 entitled “Low-Profile ConnectorAssembly and Methods”, each of the foregoing being incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety, may be used consistent with the aspects ofthe present invention.

Business Methods

As previously discussed, prior art magnetically filtered connectorstypically utilize an internal printed circuit board (“PCB”) or othersubstrate to carry the input signals through internal circuitryconnecting numerous internal transformer coils and chokes to variousinternal electrical components for filtering applications and then topins located in specific locations relative to the customers printedcircuit assembly (“PCA”).

The inventor herein has realized that by transferring some of thosefunctional filtered-connector design elements, which are currentlyprovided at a greater expense by the filtered connector manufacture tothe customer's PCA, it will reduce the overall total cost to thecustomer while minimizing customer inconvenience. This is largelybecause some of the functionality associated with the connector'sfiltering circuitry can be incorporated into the customer's PCA atlittle or no added cost to the customer. This is especially desirable inapplications where the customer generally has a much higher utilizationof similar electrical components (e.g. chip capacitors, resistors, etc.)utilized in the filtered-connector design elements and therefore canpurchase them at a lower cost than a connector manufacturer due toeconomies of scale.

Further, the customer can further save costs because the addition ofoverhead costs associated with these electronic components being passedalong to the customer can now be avoided. By moving these connectordesign elements from the connector to the customer's circuit board, theconnector manufacturer can save costs and pass those savings on to theend consumer of the customer's PCA. Accordingly, a business method isproposed in which the manufacturer of the filtered connector specifiesthe routing and placement of electronic components on the customer's PCAin order to permit the filtered connector to function properly. Thecustomer will then populate the PCA with these components and then mountthe filtered connector on their PCA thereby completing the functionaldesign of the filtered connector assembly.

Methods of Manufacture

Referring now to FIG. 7, an exemplary method 700 for manufacturing amodular jack connector assembly is illustrated. At step 702, the modularjack connector assembly housing is formed. Preferably the housing isformed using well known injection molding methods of the type well knownin the art. At step 704, the organizer assembly is formed, preferablyusing similar processes as that utilized in step 702. However, theorganizer assembly also includes conductive leads which are stamped fromsheet base material, plated and formed into a predefined shape. Theconductive leads are then insert molded (i.e. a polymeric material ismolded around the conductive leads) at step 704. At step 706, theterminal pins are post inserted into the connector housing formed atstep 702. The terminal pins are preferably made from wire stock andinserted into respective holes located in the connector housing. While apost insertion method is presently contemplated, it is appreciated thatother methods could be utilized (such as the aforementioned insertmolding discussed at step 704).

At step 708, the coil subassemblies utilized in the connector housingare manufactured. In one embodiment this is accomplished by takingformed ferromagnetic toroids and winding magnet wire about the toroidalcore. This can be accomplished using manual processes or via automatedprocesses such as that disclosed in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,310filed Oct. 7, 1974 and entitled “Method for winding ring-shapedarticles”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference inits entirety. At step 710, the coil subassemblies are inserted into theconnector housing and the termination ends of the coil subassemblies arewrapped about the terminal pins of the connector housing and the notchedends of the organizer assembly conductors. Referring back to FIG. 1C, itis readily apparent that the magnetic component 120 adjacent to thetermination end 210 of the organizer assembly 200 is disposed above theorganizer insert 202. This pulls the wires from the magnetic component120 terminated at the termination end 210 away from the mass terminatedsurface of the connector assembly 100. This allows for the masstermination of the connector assembly 100 without fear of damaging themagnetic component 120; or without fear of excessive burn back on theterminated wires at, inters alia, termination end 210. In addition,subjecting the leads to the high temperature of the eutectic solder mayresult in the embrittlement of the leads which can in turn cause highrates of failure during the lifecycle of the product.

In one embodiment, the connector housing utilizes a strain relief bar800 (see FIG. 8) which is removed after the wires are terminated to theterminal pins 112 c. The strain relief bar 800 forces the assembler toroute the wires of the coil assembly over the strain relief bar toterminal pins 112 c. Once, the strain relief bar 800 is removed, asufficient amount of slack is left in the wires to prevent breakage dueto excessive tension in the wires.

At step 712, the organizer assembly is inserted into the connectorassembly and is locked into place via the mechanical snaps. At step 714,the wire wrapped conductors and terminals are terminated with a eutecticsolder. Preferably this is performed using a mass termination techniquesuch as wave soldering of the type well understood in the electronicmanufacturing arts. The coil subassemblies are potted to protect thecoil subassembly wires and increase the resistance to high voltagepotential arcing. As previously discussed, the potting is preferablyperformed after insertion of the organizer assembly to prevent foulingof the conductor leads in the modular jack port(s).

It will be recognized that while certain aspects of the invention aredescribed in terms of a specific sequence of steps of a method, thesedescriptions are only illustrative of the broader methods of theinvention, and may be modified as required by the particularapplication. Certain steps may be rendered unnecessary or optional undercertain circumstances. Additionally, certain steps or functionality maybe added to the disclosed embodiments, or the order of performance oftwo or more steps permuted. All such variations are considered to beencompassed within the invention disclosed and claimed herein.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointedout novel features of the invention as applied to various embodiments,it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changesin the form and details of the device or process illustrated may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Theforegoing description is of the best mode presently contemplated ofcarrying out the invention. This description is in no way meant to belimiting, but rather should be taken as illustrative of the generalprinciples of the invention. The scope of the invention should bedetermined with reference to the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A connector assembly, comprising: a connectorhousing comprising a vertically oriented plug receiving recess, and anelectronic component receiving recess; a conductor terminal insert, theconductor terminal insert comprising a plurality of conductor terminalsresiding at least partly within the vertically oriented plug receivingrecess and the electronic component recess, and an insulating headerportion having a bottom surface associated therewith; and a plurality ofelectronic components residing within the electronic component receivingrecess and arranged substantially above the bottom surface of theinsulating header portion and in a substantially coplanar fashion;wherein at least a portion of the conductor terminals have a notched endconfigured to facilitate the termination of the electronic componentswith respective ones of the conductor terminals; and wherein thevertically oriented plug receiving recess defines a plug receivingdirection, the plug receiving direction being substantially orthogonalwith the coplanar arrangement of the electronic components.
 2. Atelecommunications network apparatus, comprising: an external printedcircuit board (PCB); and at least one connector assembly configured tobe mounted to the external PCB, the connector assembly comprising: anelectronic component receiving recess having an open bottom, theelectronic component receiving recess configured to receive andsubstantially house one or more externally mounted electronic componentsdisposed on the external PCB when the connector assembly is mountedthereto; one or more magnetic components mounted within the electroniccomponent receiving recess; a vertically oriented connector portconfigured to have a plurality of electrical conductors disposedtherein, the plurality of electrical conductors configured to interfacewith a plug and be in signal communication with the one or more magneticcomponents; and one or more terminals extending from a bottom portion ofthe connector assembly and in signal communication with at least one ofthe one or more magnetic components and/or the one or more externallymounted electronic components.
 3. The telecommunications networkapparatus of claim 2, wherein the connector assembly further comprisesan organizer comprising an insulative insert, and wherein the pluralityof electrical conductors are disposed within the insulative insert. 4.The telecommunications network apparatus of claim 3, wherein thevertically oriented connector port is configured to receive theinsulative insert such that the vertically oriented connector port isinaccessible from the electronic component recess when the insulativeinsert is received within the vertically oriented connector port.
 5. Thetelecommunications network apparatus of claim 4, wherein the insulativeinsert comprises one or more locking features configured to interfacewith one or more receiving elements on the connector assembly.
 6. Thetelecommunications network apparatus of claim 5, wherein the insulativeinsert is configured to separate the vertically oriented connector portfrom the electronic component recess when the one or more lockingfeatures are engaged with the one or more receiving elements.
 7. Thetelecommunications network apparatus of claim 2, wherein the connectorassembly is further configured to have a unitary body.
 8. Thetelecommunications network apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least aportion of the one or more terminals are distributed throughout theunitary body so that individual ones of the one or more magneticcomponents are substantially equidistant from its respective terminal.9. The telecommunications network apparatus of claim 7, wherein theunitary body is substantially L-shaped.
 10. The telecommunicationsnetwork apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more externally mountedelectronic components comprise one or more chip-like electroniccomponents, and the one or more magnetic components comprise woundinductive devices.
 11. The telecommunications network apparatus of claim2, wherein the electronic component receiving recess has a depthsufficient to permit mass termination of a termination end of the one ormore terminals without damaging the one or more magnetic components. 12.The telecommunications network apparatus of claim 2, wherein none of theone or more magnetic components and/or the one or more electroniccomponents are disposed between the vertically oriented connector portand the external PCB when the connector assembly is mounted to the PCB,thereby providing a low-profile connector assembly.
 13. A connectorassembly configured to be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB), theconnector assembly comprising: a substantially L-shaped unitary housingcomprising a vertically oriented plug receiving recess and an electroniccomponent receiving recess; a conductor terminal insert, the conductorterminal insert comprising a plurality of conductor terminals residingat least partly within the vertically oriented plug receiving recess andthe electronic component receiving recess; and a plurality of internallymounted electronic components disposed within the electronic componentreceiving recess and arranged in a substantially coplanar fashion;wherein the vertically oriented plug receiving recess is configured tohave a plug receiving direction that is substantially perpendicular tothe PCB when the connector assembly is mounted thereto; wherein theelectronic component receiving recess defines an open cavity configuredto receive one or more externally mounted electronic components disposedon the PCB when the connector assembly is mounted thereto; and whereinnone of the internally and/or externally mounted electronic componentsare disposed between the vertically oriented plug receiving recess andthe PCB when the connector assembly is mounted thereto, therebyproviding a low-profile connector assembly.
 14. The connector assemblyof claim 13, wherein the conductor terminal insert comprises aninsulating header portion having a bottom surface associated therewith,and wherein the one or more internally mounted electronic components arearranged adjacent to and substantially above the bottom surface of theinsulating header portion.
 15. The connector assembly of claim 13,wherein at least a portion of the plurality of conductor terminals havea notched end configured to facilitate a termination of the one or moreinternally mounted electronic components with respective ones of theplurality of conductor terminals.
 16. The connector assembly of claim13, wherein the electronic component receiving recess comprises a depth,the depth configured to permit the one or more internally mountedelectronic components to be mass terminated to the plurality ofconductor terminals without damaging the one or more internally mountedelectronic components.
 17. A connector assembly configured to be mountedto a printed circuit board (PCB), comprising: a vertically oriented plugreceiving port configured to interface with a plug; an electroniccomponent receiving recess comprising a cavity having an open bottom,the electronic component receiving recess configured to receive one ormore externally mounted electronic components disposed on to the PCBwhen the connector assembly is mounted thereto; a plurality ofinternally mounted electronic components disposed within the electroniccomponent receiving recess and arranged in a substantially coplanarfashion; a plurality of electric conductors disposed at least partlywithin the vertically oriented plug receiving port and the electroniccomponent receiving recess, the plurality of electric conductorsconfigured to be in signal communication with the one or more internallymounted electronic components; and a first plurality of terminals insignal communication with the one or more internally mounted electroniccomponents, the plurality of terminal pins configured to interface withthe one or more externally mounted electric components disposed on thePCB when the connector assembly is mounted thereto; wherein the firstplurality of terminal pins are configured to extend from the electroniccomponent receiving recess so that individual ones of the one or moreinternally mounted electronic components are disposed substantiallyequidistant from its respective terminal and thereby symmetricallybalance the one or more internally mounted electronic components andthereby ensure uniform electrical performance.
 18. The connectorassembly of claim 17, further comprising a second plurality of terminalsextending therefrom and not terminated to any of the one or moreinternally mounted electronic components.
 19. The connector assembly ofclaim 17, further comprising a third plurality of terminals comprisingtwo rows of off-set terminals extending from a bottom edge of theconnector assembly.
 20. The connector assembly of claim 17, wherein thefirst, second, and third plurality of terminals have co-planartermination ends configured to permit mass termination of the first,second, and third plurality of terminals.
 21. The connector assembly ofclaim 17, wherein the connector assembly further comprises an insulativeinsert configured to retain the plurality of electrical conductorsdisposed at least partly within the vertically oriented plug receivingport and the electronic component receiving recess.